There’s already drama in Apple’s “Amazing Stories” reboot

I have to be honest with you. When I first heard one of Apple’s new TV shows was a reboot of the ’80s anthology Amazing Stories, I was more excited to see Bryan Fuller’s name attached to it than Steven Spielberg’s. Fuller—known for his work on shows such as Wonderfalls, Heroes, and the Star Treks: Deep Space Nine and Voyager—was announced the showrunner, with Spielberg added as an executive producer when Apple picked up the rights from NBC.

Fuller, however, is now off the project according to The Hollywood Reporter. Their story has also been updated with news that Hart Hanson—Fuller’s partner on Amazing Stories—has also exited the anthology.

It’s not a good way to kick off a new streaming media service, let alone a new TV show.

The split was amicable, according to The Hollywood Reporter, but that’s just lawyer/agent speak for “we hated working together.” You know this is true when the phrase “creative differences” shows up as well. The report goes on to state that:

Fuller, who originally developed Amazing Stories for NBC before it moved to Apple with a series pickup, is said to have wanted to do a Black Mirror-type show, which sources say was not something the iPhone maker had in mind.

Black Mirror is a British anthology that examines contemporary, controversial topics through a sci-fi lens, focusing on modern technologies and unanticipated effects they can have on individuals and society. Like The Twilight Zone before it, it’s pretty heavy (but effective) stuff. Amazing Stories certainly had its share of darker material in its original run, but those episodes were offset by cartoons about family dogs or illustrators saving the crew of a doomed B-17. It sounds like Apple, which has always positioned itself well on the side of family-friendliness, is more interested in the lighter stuff than was Fuller.

It will likely be a while before we know which direction Apple goes with the Amazing Stories reboot and other new TV shows we’ll be watching on our Apple TVs, but hopefully we’ll learn more when Eddy Cue speaks about the service at SXSW in early March. We should at least know by then who the new showrunner will be. Anyone want to place bets on Reese Witherspoon?

About the Author

Kirk Hiner has been writing for the Apple web since 1997, having served as editor of Applelinks and the Technology Tell Apple Channel. In addition to his work with BEST Apple TV, Kirk currently contributes to Mac Gamer HQ and Pure Nintendo. He lives with his wife and three children in small-town Ohio where the land is cheap and the air is (relatively) clean.